Translation: 11 days left until the big day. I do not realize that I will be gone for about four and a half month. There is a lot to be done before I go. First of all, I should start to pack and look over the travel documents. Further more, I need to fix insurance on the stuff that I will bring, and I must learn to wash clothes. Also, I must try to prepare myself mentally on the road ahead. Despite the stress, though, I appreciate this process of preparing. It is absolutely the best thing about traveling; to look forward to what I have a head of me. Below you can see some of the equipment that I will bring on the journey.

/ One of the key elements when I am about to carry a lot of gear over several months, is a backpack that fits the back. For me it was difficult to find the perfect backpack because I have flat feet and thus has an extremely flat back. According to the expert on Chillout, usually girls have a back with more of a “sway” than what I have. After all, we found a backpack that is easy to handle, and it is practical since it has several rooms. Also, it opens at the bottom and top, making it easy to find what I need in it. Inside the backpack I have included two bags to have dirty laundry in, and what is called a silk sleeper impregnated against bedbugs. Furthermore you need a day-backpack when traveling. For me it was important that it was solid with enough space for my Mac, camera case, GoPro and travel documents. Because I have a lot of expensive equipment with me and want to be careful with it, I choose to wear the day-backpack on the front, while I carry the big backpack on my back. In other words, I am going to end up looking like a donkey at arrival and departure in every single country.

/ To keep the contents in the bag as transparent as possible, I packed my clothes into four different storage bags. To make it easier to distinguish what is in the storage bag, they have different colors. In the big backpack it will also be three toilet folders. One is full of essential medicine like Paracet, Imodium, Resorb, Malaria Tablets and more. This is stuff you do not think about, together with vaccines that must be taken long before departure. Also, I am daily going to use a money belt under my shirt to protect my passport, mobile and money.

/ With me on the journey I have three pairs of shoes. A pair of sandals, a couple of nice sneakers and a pair of sneakers for exercise and daily use. One cannot deny that good shoes are an essential when one are about to walk a lot. I have taken precautions and ordered custom soles for my feet and shoes to limit the burden of my back.

/ There are lots of long flights when traveling around the world. Therefore, it is even more important to enjoy the time and try to relax. I bring a Rescue Juice if I run out of power, two couple of sleep masks and an inflatable sleeping pillow. Also, there will be plenty of time to listen to my “Verden Rundt“-list on spotify with my new headphones. I think I will buy myself a book while traveling, also. I will for sure write in my travel book / diary and spend time on the plane to write blog posts and edit images.

/ In one of the toilet bags it is necessary to bring the essentials. To me, the essentials are antibac, shampoo, conditioner, body soap, DEET mosquito spray 50%, DEET mosquito spray 20%, hand cream and dry shampoo. Also, I will daily have some money in my bra-purse inside the bra, as a security if I am to be robbed. Such bra-purse is also great to have when going out.

/ Because I am nearsighted I need lenses to see clearly what is in the distance. Of course I will have to bring a huge number of lenses when traveling for about four and a half month. I also bring with me a pair of glasses in case I get conjunctivitis or bacterial infection of the eye. Of course it is very likely that I get it when I go to countries with different bacteria than we find in Norway. In other words, it is important to take precautions when it comes to sight!

/ Before the trip I read some guides to get to know a bit of history and culture in the countries I will visit. Also, I try to notice what I should pay special attention to, in order to take precautions when traveling. When I arrive in all the different countries and leave my huge backpacker bags at the hostel room, I thought it was practical with a smaller backpack for everyday use. Mine is from Fjellräven, and it fits a water bottle, money, passports, GoPro and maps. I believe that I do not need anything more, when exploring the world.